Cable lashing device



Nov. 15, 1966 c. J. WEILER 3,285,571

CABLE LASHING DEVICE Filed Sept. 6, 1963 4 FIG.

I, 2/ 25 32 I5 la 23 j: 37 I m 3 :6 m 3/ 3a 32 34 27 FIG 3 INVENTORCHARLES J. WE/LER ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,285,571 CABLE LASHINGDEVICE Charles J. Weiler, 6839 Oakley St., Philadelphia, Pa. Filed Sept.6, 1963, Ser. No. 307,067 Claims. (Cl. 254134.3)

This invention relates to a cable lashing device and its operation inorder that a lashed unit may be more uniformly lashed and the lashingoperation simpler and better.

It has been customary to helically lash together a plurality ofinsulated electrical conductors for handling and supporting them as aunit. One use for such a construction has been for the secondarydistribution of electric current from an overhead transformer forlighting and for other electric utilization devices. Another use hasbeen in the lashing of telephone conductors to a suspension or messengerwire. Prior processes and apparatus for applying a lashing wire havebeen too elaborate and not entirely satisfactory. A common practice hasbeen the use of tensioning devices to tightly bind the wire andconductors together as a unit for. ease in handling and for improvedappearance. However, these tensioning devices have not been uniform inoperation' for their intended purpose with the result the lashing wiremay sometimes be too tight. If the lashing wire is too loose the severalconductors are more diflicult to handle and unsightly. If the lashingwire is too tight:

there is danger of the highly stressed lashing wire cutting into theinsulation of the conductors and the possibility of a short circuitdeveloping.

A principal object of this invention is to provide a cable lashingdevice for conductors which is better adapted to bind the conductorstogether without having the lashing too tight or too loose.

It is a further object of the invention to eliminate the non-uniformityin action of a tension device applied to a lashing wire during helicalwrapping around the conductors.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a than a desiredamount of tension being imparted to the wrapped lashing wire.

It is a further object of the invention to lash a plurality ofconductors together in a manner to prevent damage to the conductors andthereby enhance the safety of the conductor. i

It is a further object of the invention to provide an improved cablelashing device for conductors utilizing as a component a sleeve of anelastomer to frictionally engage the lashing strand and suitably pressit against the conductors.

Other objects and advantageous features of the invention will beapparent from the description and claims.

The nature and characteristic features of the invention will be morereadily understood from the following description taken in connectionwith the accompanying drawings forming part thereof, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a longitudinal View in elevation of the lashing apparatus ofthe invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective showing the separate parts of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal section on the line 33 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 4 is a transverse section on the line 44 of FIG. 1.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 4,two insulated conductors 10 and 11 are enclosed in a usual form ofinsulation common in secondary overhead electrical distribution systems.A conductor 13 is shovm as being of about the same outside diameter asconductors 10 and 11 with their insulation. In the embodiment shown theconductor 13 may be at ground potential when it is used with energizedconductors 10 and 11 and when they havea potential of 240 voltsconnected across them but for safety have only 120 volts between each ofthem and the conductor 13. The conductor 13 may be insulated if desiredfor distribution particularly of three phase current. This conductor isusually aluminum cable steel reinforced for providing the entire supportbut also may be made of alloys giving it good tensile strength withelectrical conductivity.

The cable lashing device shown at L, at the forward or incoming endpreferably includes a guide 14 of wood, metal or of a plastic insulatorof the type smooth surface offering small friction.

The guide. 14 has a plurality of openings 15 therea container 17 andwith the axis of the three conductors 10,' lland 13, substantiallycoincident with the axis of a coil 18 of lashing or lacing material 19.The material 19 can be wire, such as dead soft flexible stainlessvsteel, or a relatively inelastic synthetic plastic in monofilament orstrand form.

The support and container 17 for the coil 18 of lashing material 19 isconstituted by the inner and outer telescoping portions 20 and 21 shownin FIG. 2. Each such portion 20 and 21 has a tubular projection, thefront or incoming projection being designated as 22 and the rear ortrailing projection being designated as 23 as shown. The coil 18 oflashing material 19 is supported on its outer surface within the innerportion 20. The outer portion 21 has a sliding fit over the innerportion 20. The telescoping portions '20 and 21 have peripheral flanges24 and 25, these flanges 24 and 25 being provided with alignable oroppositely disposed holes 26 and 27 through which a tension member suchas a wire 28 having twisted ends is passed.

A split rubber line sleeve 30 of a type familiar to electricdistribution linemen and of a size to fit snugly over the lashedconductors 10', 11 and 13 is shown in FIGS.'

1 and 4. Such a sleeve is shown in the patent to Salisbury, No.2,927,146, and is of a suitable elastomer, is

flexible and is sufficiently stiff to frictionally engage the lashingmaterial and suitably press it against the conductors 10, 11 and 413 aspointed out below. The sleeve 30 has an enlarged end 31 with a greaterinterior diameter but of lesser length than the remaining portion 32 ofthe sleeve 30. A taper 33 connects the interiors of the two portions ofthe sleeve 30, the portion 32 having an inner surface 34.

The sleeve 30 also has a longitudinal slit 35 therealong providingoverlapping parts 36 extending slightly more than The end 31 of thesleeve 30 fits over the rear tubular portion 23 and carries thetelescopic container 17 for the lashing material 19. The sleeve 30 hasflanges 37 with holes 38 for attachment of flexible tension members 39.The tension support members 39 can be secured at a fixed location, suchas a distribution line pole 40. The pull on the tension members 39 tendsto pull the sleeve 30 at the flanges 37 into snug gripping relation tothe tubular portion 23 thus retaining the line having a sleeve 30 insupporting relation to the container 17. The

taper 33 assists in keeping or moving the looseness between it and thecoil 18, forwardly toward the coil 18 where the looseness in the windingalready exists. inner surface 34 of the longer length and smallerdiameter hose portion 32 enables light tension to be placed in thematerial '19 applied against the conductors 11 and 13, causing thematerial 19 to hug the conductors 10, 11 and 13, and the tension to beapplied can be changed by change in the length of the portion 32. Agreater length of the portion 32 gives a greater tension. In otherwords, the tension of the lashing material 19 and the degree of itspressure on the conductors 10, 11 and 13 can be adjusted by varying thelength along which the pressing is effected.

The manner of use will now be pointed out.

With the telescoping portions 20 and 21 of the container 17 assembledwith a coil 18 therein and with the guide'14 in place, the inner freeend of the lashing material 19 is drawn out through the rear projection23. The conductor 13 is inserted through one of the openings in the:guide 14 and pushed through the assembly including the interior openingin the coil 18, so that it extends about three feet beyond the container17 where it is attached to the conventional pulling wire (not shown).The other two conductors 10 and 11 are inserted through the otheropenings 15 in the guide 14, the central open ing in the coil 18, andthrough the rear extension 23, and their ends are taped to the conductor13 on the length thereof beyond the container 17. The end of the lashingmaterial 19 is taped to the assembled conductors 10, '11 and 13 on thelengths beyond the container 17.

The sleeve 30 is split open along the slit 35, applied around theassembly, permitted to close, and the enlarged end 31 engaged on theprojection 23.

The tension members 39 are secured to the pole 40-. Upon relative linearmovement of the container 17 and the conductors 10, 11 and 13, thelashing material 19 is unwound from the cylindrical inner surface of thecoil 18 and helically wound loosely around the conductors 10, 11 and 13.

Movement of the conductors 10', 11 and 13 through coil 18 causes thecoil 18 to unwind the material 19 from its inner surface withoutrotation of either coil 18' or of the conductors 10, 11 and 13 andwithout a tensioning device being used in the winding. The conductors10, 11 and 13 are'thus wound loosely with the lashing material 19helically arranged about the conductors 10, -11 and 13, with a pitchdependent upon the existing inside diameter of the coil 18. The innersurface 34 of the sleeve 30 upon the loosely wound lashing has severaleffects. It presses the lashing material 19 longitudinally andhelically, moving the looseness toward the coil 18 where loosenessalready exists. In doing so the sleeve 30 frictionally exerts enoughpressure and tension on the material 19 behind its leading edge to pullthe material 19 lightly, and preferably tightly enough to cause thepreviously applied helical turns of the wire 19 to hug the conductorassembly as shown on FIG. 4. This slight tension is not enough to causethe material 19' to cut into the insulation. This is a safety featureoccurring because the action of the inner surface 34 of the rubbersleeve 30 may be likened to the action of a slipping clutch whoseslipping precludes more than a desired :amount of tension being appliedto the lashing material 19 passed over.

The utilization of the sleeve 30 has eliminated the nonuniformity inaction which occurred in prior lashing devices. The lashing material 19is now unwound from the inner surface of the'coil 18, passes directly tothe conductors 10, 11 and 13 around which the material 19 is wound ascomes from this coil inner circumference and is further positioned withthe desired tightness by the sleeve 30. The sleeve 30 makes the lashingmaterial 19 conform to or hug the surface of the conductor assembly Thevin a smooth uniform manner without any danger of the lashing materialbeing snagged by the tensioning apparatus.

The sleeve 30 can be readily removed from the lashed conductor assemblyat any time for access to the conductors and is ready for reapplicationand reuse without disassembling the container 17.

I claim:

1. In apparatus for winding lashing material about at least partiallyinsulated conductive material, said apparatus including a support for acoil of lashing material, a coil of lashing material in said support, aguide for directing'said conductive material through said coil, meansfor elfecting longitudinal relative translation between said conductivematerial and said coil, said support for said coil passing around theexterior thereof, and an elastomeric elongated sleeve member disposedrearwardly of said coil and fixed with respect thereto and adapted to'have passed therethrough in enclosing and snugly con tainedrelationship the conductive material with said lashing materialhelically applied thereto.

2. Apparatus for winding a lashing member about a plurality of strandsof at least partially insulated elongated conductive material comprisingof coil of elongated lashing member to be wound, a holding device for.

said coil for delivery of lashing member to said plurality of strands,means for effecting relative longitudinal translation between saidstrands and said holding device for said coil, and a longitudinallysplit tubular member relatively longitudinally movable with respect tosaid strands for snugly pressing said lashing member around said strandsupon relative longitudinal movement of said coil holding device and saidstrands.

3. Apparatus for applying an elongated lashing element in helicalsurrounding relation to a plurality of conductors comprising telescopedtubular members providing a container having a front and rear portion, aconductor guide atsaid front portion of said container, a coil oflashing element in said container coaxial therewith and surrounding saidconductors for delivery of lashing element from the interior of saidcoil, a longitudinally split sleeve at the rear portion of saidcontainer having a central opening receiving said conductors forrelative longitudinal movement of said conductors and said lashingelement, said sleeve engaging the exterior of said conductors andpressing the lashing element from said coil into engagement with saidconductors, and a supporting member for said sleeve.

4. Apparatus for snugly fitting a helical lashing material about aplurality of elongated electrical conductors at least one of which isinsulated, said apparatus comprising an elastomeric elongated sleevemember, tension means for supporting said member, a coil of lashingmaterial, means supported by said member for containing said coil andmaintaining it in axial alignment therewith, means directing saidplurality of conductors through said coil and said member for relativetranslation therewith, said lashing material being unwound interiorlyfrom said coil and about said conductors, and said member frictionallypressing said material toward said conductors upon relative translationbetween said member and said conductors.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4 in which the means for containing saidcoil comprises telescopic cylindrical members extending around theoutside of said coil and at least partially enclosing a trailing end ofsaid coil.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,822,146 2/ 1958Ridgers et a1. 2,927,146 3/1960 Salisbury 174-5 3,208,727 9/1965 Greeneet al.

' WILLIAM FELDMAN, Primary Examiner.

OTHELL M. SIMPSON, Examiner.

1. IN APPARATUS FOR WINDING LASHING MATERIAL ABOUT AT LEAST PARTIALLYINSULATED CONDUCTIVE MATERIAL, SAID APPARATUS INCLUDING A SUPPORT FOR ACOIL OF LASHING MATERIAL, A COIL OF LASHING MATERIAL IN SAID SUPPORT, AGUIDE FOR DIRECTING SAID CONDUCTIVE MATERIAL THROUGH SAID COIL, MEANSFOR EFFECTING LONGITUDINAL RELATIVE TRANSLATION BETWEEN SAID CONDUCTIVEMATERIAL AND SAID COIL, SAID SUPPORT FOR SAID COIL PASSING AROUND THEEXTERIOR THEREOF, AND AN ELASTOMERIC ELONGATED SLEEVE MEMBER DISPOSEDREARWARDLY OF SAID COIL AND FIXED WITH RESPECT THERETO AND ADAPTED TOHAVE PASSED THERETHROUGH IN ENCLOSING AND SNUGLY CONTAINED RELATIONSHIPTHE CONDUCTIVE MATERIAL WITH SAID LASHING MATERIAL HELICALLY APPLIEDTHERETO.